Surfacing-machine.



l F. R. ALLEN.

SURPAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 8, 1910.

Batentqd May 16, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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F. R. ALLEN.

SURPAGING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. s, 1910.

992,730. Patented May 16,1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2A.

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UNITED STATES PATENT oEEIoE. i

ERED R. ALLEN, OE EROVIDENOE, vRIODEISLAND, AssIGNoR To EUGENE E. BOWEN, OE. PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SURFACING-MACHINE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 16, 1911.

. Application filed August 8, 1910. Serial No. 576,084.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be. it known that I, FREuRQALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Providence, in the county of Providence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new' and useful Improvements inY Surfacing-Machines, of which the follow'- ing is a specification, reference being had there-in to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to floor surfacing machines and has for its object to provide a machine of this character that is very simple and inexpensive in construction, easy to manipulate, and effective in its operation.

A further object of theinvention is to provide means whereby the surfacing rolls.l

will be automatically raised from the `floor immediately upon a cessation of the traverse motion of the carriage to prevent the rolls from cutting into the floor, and to remain 1n this raised `position until the machine is again moved forward, when the rolls will at once rengage the ioor and continue their work as before.

Another object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character that may be readily converted from an abrading into a polishing machine so that a single machine maybe adapted not only to rough out, butto finish and also wax Or polish the floor. By a slight adjustment in my improved machine the usual abrading rolls may be re moved ,and the machine adapted to receive' and operate a large flat` faced disk, the same having either an abrading or a polishing face as desired and adapted to work under radiators, steam pipes, and similar difficultplaces where the ordinary roll cannot reach.

Another feature of the invention is that the head may be turned up on a slight angle so as to receive and operate a cone-shaped roll which is best adapted for some purposes, such as getting into corners, etc.

With these and other objects -in view, the

vinvention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described and particularly pointed out in the appended, claims.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete machine showing the resilient handle by which the machine is operated. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section, illustrating the construction of the machine more in detail. Fig. 3- is a front elevation of the from the same.

handle to the machine. Fig 5- is a frontv elevation illustrating the supporting 'roller and its bearing yoke which is vertically slidable in the adjustable sleeve, shown in section, also the springs on said yoke which raise ythe abrading rolls from the floor as soon as the operating pressure is relieved Fig. 6 is a side' elevation of thebearing sleeve showing the same turned at right angles, its abrading rolls removed anda disk in operative position in said bearing. Fig. 7- is a plan view showmg the bearing sleeve and disk in operative position thereon. Fig. 8- is a small sideelevation showing a section lthrough the bearing and a portion of the bearing sleeve. Fig. 9- is a small detail showing the bearing head turned oli' at an angle for the purpose of receiving and operating a coneshaped abrading roll.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a frame having a motor supportingy Vplatform 2 with downwardly extending sides 3 3 in which the main supporting wheels 4 4 are rotatably mounted on the shaft 5. Beneath this platform and midway between the wheels is a long tubular bearing member .6 which extends from the rear of the platform some distance forward and is forthe purpose of receiving and providing a bearing for the driving shaft 7 which shaft receives its rotating motion from the electric motor 8 through the pulley 9, belt 10 and pulley 1l mountedl on the vrear end of said shaft. The forward end of this shaft is provided with a pinion 12 preferably of the spiral type. The outer end of the main bearing member 6 is finished and reduced on its externa-l surface at 13 forming a trunnion for receiving an adjustable bearing sleeve 14. The outer end of this sleeve is provided with a pair of forwardly extending off-set bearings'l-l which receive the horizontal sha-ft 16 for supporting abrading or surfacing rolls 17-17 of suitable construction,

and on this roll shaft 16, see Fig. 3, is mounted the driving gear .18 which meshes with the corresponding pinion 12. This bearing sleeve 14 is preferably split longitudinallyon one' side as at 1,9, see Fig. G, and is provided with binding bolts 20 whereby the sleeve may be rotated on its trunnion and .set and bound in any desired position thereon.

In order to raise the abrasive rolls fromA contact with the floor as soon as the machine stops moving, I have provided a supplementary supporting roller 21 mounted in bearings 22, which bearings are in turn connected with'upright rods 23 to work vertically through the ears 24 on each side of the sleeve 14. This supplementary support 21 is located intermediate the wheels 4 and the floor dressing or surfacing devices, and springs 25 of a given tension are mounted to act beneath the ears 24 so as to normally carrythe weight of the outer end of the car-A riage and to raise the dressing device from the floor. A pair of springs 26 of lesser' power may be adjusted to counteract in a measure the eect or upward pressure of the lower springs by means of the nuts 27 threaded onto the upper ends of saidrods.

An essential feature to the successful operation of my improved construction is the operating handle 28. which is preferably made of small gas pipe or tubing bent in a- U-shape, the ends being secured by setscrews 29, or other convenient means, 1n

suitable pockets 30-30 on either side of thev frame 1, the loop portion then extending rearwardly and upwardly forming a convenient handle to be grasped by the operator for manipulating the machine. A yieldable handle of this character exerts a .flexible pressure on theabrading rolls and allows the rolls to readily yield and follow any unevennesses in the floor. 4,

When it is desired to use a flat disk in stead of the rolls for eithersgrinding or polishing said rolls and their supporting shaft are readily remo,ved from the bearings 15 and the disk inserted therein. In doing this the bearing sleeve 14 is loosened on its trunnion and turned at right angles, bringing said bearings 15 in a vertical position.

The supporting roller and its connecting` positioned on the driving shaft and run.

The operation of my improved device may be more fully described as follows: The

operator grasps the yieldable operating handle and in -forcing the machine. ahead c he naturally presses the surfacing rolls 17 down in contact with the licor with a yieldable tension against the action of the balancing spring 25. Asthe machine moves forward in the operators hands the {lexi-` bility of the handle permits the roll to follow any slight unevennesses in the floor causing the rolls to quickly surface a new ioor or clean and re-surface, an old one.

It is found in practice in either the automatic or the usualV hand driven machines Where the roll is set to press on the floor with a given tension, that when the traverse motion of the machine is stopped even if for an instant, as is the case while reversing the direction of the carriage, a groove or low place is cut rin the Hoor. This detrimental effect is entirely obviated by the use of the little roll 21 which supports the forward end of the carriage on springs 25 and 26, whereby as soon as the operator ceases to push the machine forward the pressure is .at once relieved on the abrading rolls and said springs immediately raise said rolls from the ioor effectually preventing the same from cutting only while the carriage is receiving a traverse motion over the floor.

Another feature of my improved construction is that the rolls are on the front of the machine, the driving gear is in the center oft-he roll shaft between the rolls, lthe rolls are on the ends of this shaft each projecting beyond its respective side of the machine whereby the machine is adapted to work up close to the mop board or side of vthe room which is found in practice to be of great advantage.

After the floor has been cleaned or brought to the desired surface with the abrading rolls it is found in many instances desirable to use the saine machine for finally polishing and finishing the fioor, and as it is found in practice that the flat face of a rotary disk is the most effective for this purpose, simple and effective means have been provided whereby such a disk may be readily inserted into this machine and operated in a practical way. Abrading material, such as sand paper, may also be attached to this disk, if desired, which is found most convenient for use in surfacing the floor under radiators, steam pipes and the like.

The device is extremely simple and inexpensive in construction and eHective in its operation, and is particularly adapted for surfacing the floors of dwelling houses and oiices, as it is very easily transported and manipulated, and can be readily adapted for completing a job including both the roughing out, finishing and polishing of the floors.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A surfacing machine comprising a carriage, one or more surfacing rolls operatively mounted on said carriage, and means for automatically raising said rolls from the floor when the carriage ceases its motion.

2. A surfacing machine comprising a car'- riage, one or more surfacing rolls operatively Vmounted on said carriage, and means for automatically raising saidrolls from the floor when the carriage ceases its forward motion.

3. A surfacing machine comprising a manually operated carriage, main supporting wheels for said carriage, a surfacing roll operatively mounted on said carriage,

' and a spring-depressed supplementary support connected with the carriage intermediate the main supporting wheels and said surfacing roll to automatically raise said roll from the {loorwhen the carriage ceases to be pressed forward by the operator. l

4. A- surfacing machine comprising a twowheeled truck, a surfacing roll operatively between said mounted across the forward end ofthe machine and a resilient operating handle through which the pressure on-the roll is applied to the surface to be dressed.

5. A surfacing machine comprising a twowheeled truck, a surfacing roll operatively mounted across the forward end of the machine, a' resilient operating handle through which the pressure on the roll is applied to the surface to be dressed, and spring means through which t-he working pressure of said eratively supported across the forward end of said carriage at right angles to its path of travel, and driving means loc-ated between said pair through which the same are oper-l ated, the outer end of each roll extending beyond its respective side of the carriage and beyond the roll supports. 8. Asurfacing machine comprising a twowheeled truck having a resilient operating handle, an elongated forwardly 'extending shaft bearing located below the carriage frame, a pair of surfacing rolls mounted in relatively fixed bearings across the forward end of said carriage, and driving means located between said pair through which the same are operated, the outer end of each c roll extendingl beyond its respective side of the carriage and beyond the roll supports.

9. A surfacing machine comprising a carriage, a device operativel mounted on said carriage, a driving shaft or said device, and means whereby the angle of said shaft may be variably adjusted and set relatively to the surface to be dressed. -1 10. A surfacing machine comprising a carriage, an elongated forwardly extending shaft bearinglocated on said carriage, al

sleeve mounted to be adjusted axially on said bearing, shaft bearings4 carried by said sleeve, and a dressing device having lts shaft which said devices are rotated, said shaft being adapted through said adjustable sleeve to be set at any desired angle to accommodate dressing devices of different characters. In testimony whereof -I aix my signature in presence oftwo witnesses. FRED R. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

HOWARD E. BARLOW, ESTHER I. OGDEN.

-mounted in said latter bearings through 

